5 comments about The Truth About Organic Gardening: Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Bottom Line.

1. Don't assume that organic practices are always good and synthetic products are always bad -- get the facts. Gillman points out that plant-derived Rotenone, an organic pesticide, is highly toxic to aquatic life and causes tremors in rats. Other organics, such as Neem Oil, are often overused despite links to reproductive problems in rats and potential carcinogens. Conversely, not all synthetics are bad. Using a synthetic fertilizer in appropriate amounts once or twice a year in not harmful (if you generally attend to soil development by adding organic materials like compost and mulch). And a foliar spray made from (organic) liquified seaweed may be easier and just as helpful as making compost tea to spray on your plants. So make your gardening decisions based on knowledge, not on a bias for or against organics.



2. This book is timely as increasingly large numbers of us react to health, environmental and market conditions by growing more of our own food but wonder about the trade-offs of natural versus synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. The information offered here will be useful whether you are a neophyte or seasoned gardener.
   
   I've been gardening for most of my 72 years and have nearly100 gardening books in my library. I learned many new things here. For instance, regarding companion planting, I have long thought that fragrances were the most important condition to repel unwanted insects. Not so--color seems to be the best indicator of whether a plant would be an effective companion. In fact, an aroma may make things worse.
   
   Author Jeff Gillman is a knowledgeable referee on the sometimes near-hysterical fight between organic enthusiasts and those who favor synthetic garden inputs. He gained his doctorate at the University of Georgia and is currently an associate professor of horticulture at the University of Minnesota where in addition to teaching courses on nursery production and pesticide use he also runs the experimental nurseries and orchards there.
   
   Gillman is an organic advocate but recognizes that many gardeners want the fast response of commercial products such as pesticides, so he goes through the list of both organic and synthetic choices. Effectiveness, environmental impact quotients, and toxicological effects are all covered.
   
   Here you will learn the trade-offs between natural and synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and much more. Subjects covered are fertilization, weed control, insect control, disease control, and the control of birds, deer, rodents, and mollusks.
   
   Throughout the book, after discussing each subject, the author synopsizes with bulleted Benefits, Drawbacks, and The Bottom Line, which is the subtitle of the book. For those who want the fewest possible words, this may be all you need to read to get the information you desire.
   
   In the chapter on fertilization are discussed the well-known benefits of organic matter in the soil, compost and manure. Less well known, but covered here is the issue of pathogens in manure and compost, especially compost tea and manure tea. The section on natural versus synthetic fertilizers provided the news to me that while most of us believe that synthetic fertilizers contain petrochemicals, "that's rarely the case." It turns out the nitrogen is in fact drawn from the air by a process invented by Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch, both of whom received Nobel prizes. Those of us concerned about energy depletion and costs, however, will note that both coal and natural gas are used in the process.
   
   Phosphorous and potassium are obtained from mines in several states, an energy-intensive extraction and delivery process. In The Bottom Line, the author states his preference for organic fertilizers but notes that he uses synthetic fertilizers "for certain applications because they're cheap, readily available, and very effective."
   
   The longest and perhaps most important chapter is on insect control. There is solid info on organic cultural practices such as bagging fruit, choosing resistant plants, using floating row covers, handpicking and hosing, nectaries, companion planting, physical, visual and pheromone traps of various design for various pests, sticky cards and paste, and beneficial insects.
   
   Organic insecticides and synthetic insecticides receive twelve pages each, a balanced treatment comparing effectiveness and danger to both gardeners and the environment. In the chapter wrap-up the author "is siding with the organic choices right up until you start looking at the pesticides. Once these things enter the picture, all bets are off for me." Should the gardener decide to use pesticides, this chapter provides the scientifically known pros and cons. He strongly recommends the organic cultural practices. One of the few strategies that Gillman does not offer is simply growing more plants than you need--if you need the produce from three tomato plants, why, just grow five or six; if insects or disease reduce yield, you may well still have enough for your purposes.
   
   The final chapter is on the question of organic food. Is it really superior? And just how reliable are the USDA's organic growing standards? Some of the surprises: organic food is not pesticide free; some organic producers use poison, too; organic pesticides may be worse because they require frequent reapplication, resulting in more residue; carcinogens are examples of "the dose makes the poison."
   
   The Truth About Organic Gardening clears up much misunderstanding about natural and synthetic strategies for dealing with the many challenges of gardening. Not all synthetic pesticides are awful. Not all organic pesticides are safe. If, like me, you are an organic enthusiast, expect to have some of your beliefs challenged.
   
   Gardening is an ongoing learning process. Each garden is unique. Each gardener is unique. To garden successfully and to produce healthful food for you and your family you will necessarily make many choices. This book will be very helpful in making those choices.



3. 
   I received the book in good time and I was very pleased with it.



4. A surprisingly easy read, Jeff Gillman presents the pros and cons of organic and synthetic techniques for gardening, including soil management and pest control of all kinds (bugs, weeds, fungus, etc.). A good reference book and one I want to give my friend who covers everything in pesticide dust! Will not help with identification of gardening problems, but provides an understanding of the impact of all applications.



5. Excellent information about organic gardening, and does a great job of dispelling various myths. It also debunks people like Jerry Baker, who would have you fertilizing your garden with ammonia -- gak. Highly recommend this book.

4 comments about Basic Composting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (Stackpole Basics) (Basic How-to Guides).

1. This is the perfect book for the beginning composter. With plenty of pictures and easy step by step instructions this book teems with information. Purchased with "The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener" you have all you need for a great preliminary knowledge base on the subject. I highly recommend this book for those who are interested in getting started fast!



2. I was teaching a class at the local library on Composting and the Librarian brought me this book to display. I was thrilled to see a book that was easy to read and understand for the novice composter. I find alot of people don't get this concept, how easy it is and the great benefits to the enviorment. This book has great pictures and is a quick review even for the old Masters. I display it at all my classes regardless of the subject and refer to it often. It's a MUST HAVE in my library.
   Barbara Kiernan, Marysville, Ca.



3. As simple as it gets! How to create compost, How to build a compost bin (or which to buy), What IS compost and how do you create successful piles. Great for someone on a budget. Step-by-steps are great and the content is easy to understand. I built one of the bins in the book in a few hours. Highly recommend this for those starting out.



4. This is a very helpful book to have at your side when composting and is simple enough for us that are just beginning to compost. I am a very science-y, down-to-the-nity-gritty-biology kind of guy so some of of it seems too simplified. That's why I didn't give the fifth star. But, all in all, it really is a good book and I like the spiral bound style that allows it to stay open while you are actually in the process of composting. I am now in search of a more detailed book about vermiculture (worm-poop ranching!)

5 comments about The Rodale Bookof Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener.

1. What a great book! Easy to read, lots of information and even gives you idea's on building your compost bins. If you are a gardener and are planning on composting you really should buy this book.



2. As a serious gardener I appreciate well written books that I can own and have in my book shelf for yearly reading. And Rodale is a well respected publisher of gardening books.The subtitle says it all 'Easy methods for every gardener'.
   
   This means even apartment dwellers with a porch or patio can have a small compost setup. The book covers numerous ways to construct a composter as well as the many types of organic or natural materials one can compost. Even cardboard in moderation, as well as the traditional eggshells, coffee grounds, banana peels, vegetable and fruit scraps.
   
   The book also discusses year round composting and how and why composting works and the positive environmental impact of everyone have some type of a compost set up. This is one of those books every serious gardener should have or at least buy, read and donate to ones public library.



3. This is the most thumbed-through book on composting I have. Easily 90% of anything you would want to know about composting is inside this book. A small amount of the material may not be useful to the typical gardener, but it is interesting none the less. An excellent guide for the beginner and a good reference for the advanced composter.



4. If all you plan to do is improve your garden using kitchen scraps and some yard waste, this book is not for you. It is very technical, and best-suited to those with lots of space and time on their hands to manage large composting projects. Don't let this be your first book on the subject, since it will probably (wrongly) convince you that you need a Masters in Agriculture or Ecology to do accomplish what will naturally happen if you get any of a number of inexpensive composting bins, toss in some banana peels, coffee grinds and dead leaves, mix in some dirt and let the microbes get to work.



5. I was looking for a basic "how to" book on composting, while still interesting enough to hold my attention. Sadly, this wasn't it. The black and white pages read like a school book. And the information is pretty vague. I am new to gardening/composting, so this book could simply be too advanced for me.

5 comments about The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields.

1. At best, this is a book an experienced gardener might pick up at the library to glean a few useful ideas about biointensive gardening (I found nothing that isn't presented better elsewhere). At worst, unsuspecting beginners will think this book is the authoritative source it claims to be, try to implement it's convoluted techniques, and fail miserably.
   All gardening books convey a certain sensibility about gardening that sets the perspective for the endeavor. Sustainable Vegetable is weird mix of new age idealism and rocket science. Trust me, gardening is not as complicated as this book makes it sound!
   The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Ed Smith is THE definitive title on the subject.Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew is good for small gardens. Four Season Harvest by Elliott Coleman is excellent for winter gardening. Tanya Denckla's Gardener's A-Z Guides are excellent.



2. This is not a book to read in winter when you're dreaming of your perfect garden. This is a book that correctly lists the five plants that have been proven to help deter the Striped Bean Beetle when it's eating your garden down to the nubs. And the intercropping to keep the bean beetle away next year. And soil treatments to keep it from coming back. And what kinds of flowers will attract the beetle's predators. And did you know that veggies will generally produce just fine with up to 30% of their leaf surface eaten, or even produce more when it's attacked just like this? I didn't, until I read this book.
   
   Great information, essential information, complicated information. If you're a dreamer who likes a couple of nice sprays of hybrid cherry tomatoes to munch on each September and want a nice book with pretty color pictures, this isn't the book for you. If you've got dirt under your fingernails and a problem with your French Intensive beds, you will eventually need exactly this book.



3. I was very dissapointed in the length of this book. Compared to other organic gardening books, this should be listed as a brochure, or maybe as a synopsis of "How to Grow More Vegetables..." A buyer's money could be better spent. Personally, I would not buy it again. Figuring that it would cost me half of the cost of the book to return it to Amazon, I'll probably just give it away as a gift to a new gardener. This is not to say that there is no useful information in the book, but more information can be found in other, -longer- books



4. I am thankful to find this book, because it is so rare to find any gardening book that actually tells you how many seeds you need for so much ground, or how to predict yield.
   
   The reviews that complain about this valuable information give me an idea why that might be. People are too stupid to either value or use that information.
   
   Well, if you are intelligent enough to be looking for that information, then you'll be happy to have this book.



5. It is interesting reading if you want to know EVERYTHING about intensive gardening. I view gardening as stress relief, not to eat to live, so I don't like to use my brain this much when working in the garden. I give it 3 stars because I do feel if one really needs this information, it could be useful. An engineer minded person would probably love this book and get a lot of useful info out the main book, How to Grow More Vegetables. I am technical minded, but after working 60 hours a week, I don't want to strain my brain over a garden.

5 comments about The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Worms in Your Garden.

1. This is one of the two books most recommended by the vermiculture sites that I have visited. It is a comprehensive guide. It is a great book for children and adults who want to raise worms. It's easy to understand. It is a "most" before you buy the redworms. The only reason I give it a 4 is because it is so basic that young children can understand it and I am quite a bit older.



2. Really now... What is there to say about a worm book? Can it actually be INTERESTING? Well, this book held my attention well, taught me many things I did not know, did not burden me with super technical bunk that I do not need or want to know, and was a detailed, well rounded book on the topic.
   
   That said, I think the book was excellent.
   
   Of course, a more recent publication would be better (for instance: no mention of european nightcrawlers -- something rather recent on the American worm market)... but this book gave me ALL the information that I needed to begin raising worms and understanding the HOW's and WHY's of worms and vermiculture.



3. Quick read. Interesting book. Yes worms are helpful in the garden..sometimes. Had a Tif bermuda lawn in La Jolla that became a sea of worm castings. Flushed them all out with Ivory Liquid soap and water. They came screaming up out of the ground--a bit cruel but entertaining. Tried washing them off and saving them. Mostly they died. Worms are like weeds. A weed is a plant that is growing where you don't want it to grow. Worms in the compost pile are good and even amongst the veggies but in a Tiff Bermuda lawn, you gotta kill them.



4. I used this book as second verification information on the best treating of my worm population. Has great advice and different ideas. I have a modular worm station and this book helped with worm advancement thru the stages of vermicomposting.



5. Excellent book for starting a vermicomposting project, I found the adequate climate specs for common composting species very useful. As well as the "bug visitor" information that will allow you to get an insight of the micro environment that you may decide to create for your invertebrate friends after reading this guide.
   
   Happy vermicomposting, cheers!!

2 comments about Grow Vegetables: Gardens - Yards - Balconies - Roof Terraces.

1. An excellent book, well-written, and beautifully designed and illustrated. It makes the daunting tasks of creating and managing a vegetable garden seem simple. I could see my thumbs getting greener as I read it.
   
   The book manages to be comprehensive, yet concise, covering all of the important topics, without deluging the reader with excessive details, or complicated Latin names. It gives the beginner everything that they need to know to grow all of the common vegetables, but it will also interest the more experienced reader since it contains many unusual and challenging varieties too.
   
   This book stands head and shoulders above its neighbors on the bookstore shelves.
   
   Thoroughly recommended.



2. This book is wonderful!!! This is my second year growing veggies and my first year with this book. I learned so much from this easy to read guide. The begining general section taught me about crop rotation and sunlight and watering schedules. The sections devoted to each type of vegetable are very informative and go into just enough detail to be really helpful bot no so much that it was over my head.
   This is a great book for begining veggie gardeners!!!

5 comments about Saving Seeds: The Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds (A Down-to-Earth Gardening Book).

1. The book was informative, however it lacked a certain sophistication which left many questions unanswered. Not enough time dedicated to flowers.



2. This book has many practicle ideas on how to save hierloom seeds from year to year. It is a little older but still has sound advice that is easy to read and understand. It will be priceless to the beginner or the master gardener in a short time.



3. I bought this book so I could start harvesting my own seeds for vegetable gardening. This is the exact reference I was looking for. Each veggie detailed with instructions for selecting, protecting from cross polination, harvesting and storing. Lots of info for flowers too, but flower seed harvesting is much more straight forward, so I think it is covered appropriately.



4. It is hard to justify spending money on anything when you live in poverty, but I thought that this book may pay for itself. I was right. I have only had it for a few months, and already it has helped me to grow enough food to pay for itself. My plan is to completely stop buying seeds within 3 years, and if all of the points in this book work as good as the ones that I have already used I see no problem with sticking with that plan.



5. The info it's very general. For the new gardener or seed saver many questions are left with no answer. Like the time to soak seeds on water. I ended up with more questions than answers at the end, glad did not pay full price.

5 comments about Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts.

1. I live in Phoenix and have the opportunity of catching Dave Owens tips for gardening on Channel 3 on a weekly basis. Dave has so many tips for gardening that the only way to harness his knowledge is to purchase this book. I have come to find that these tips work not only for those of us living in the desert, but I pass them along to my Mother in Wyoming, and she has as much success as I do with them. Dave is an extremely knowledgable gardner and his book reflects that, the layout was very thought out and takes you step by step from the "what do I need", to "now I've got what I need, what do I do" stages. Bravo, Dave!



2. David Owens has written a real winner with this book! He tells us which plants will survive in our harsh desert environment and how to plant and take care of them. The book is easy to follow and I'm having good luck with all the trees and vegetables I have planted using his guidelines.

   If you thought that gardening was not an option since you moved to the desert you need this book to show you the way!




3. This is a great book for any gardening endvor using organic means. This autor knows and understands planting for an enviroment that is both beautiful and harsh. I follow his inspiring garden methods using this book and his companion book.



4. I LOVE this book. It is the best, hands down, guide to growing veggies in Arizona. So many gardening books address other parts of the country and don't apply to the Southwest. I have 5 other "Southwest" gardening books and this is the first book I refer to. It combines organic gardening with gardening in the desert. If you are a newbie to southwest gardening and only want to read one book-get this one!



5. This is the best book on gardening in the desert. It has the most specific information relative to gardening here in the Phoenix area. It will be the gardening bible in our house.

5 comments about Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening.

1. I've been gardening for a few years, and this book really broadened my knowledge. Also made me feel less like a cheapskate for not running out to buy all the latest garden gizmos - they point out that you can reuse pruned shoots, for example, to stake up your garden plants. Highly recommended.



2. I find this book very user friendly. I find the format helpful and it's contents very informative. I especially find the care and pruning guides helpful and the variety of topics inspiring.



3. This book is poorly researched. One section of the book talks about fungi being plants that do not undergo photosynthesis. This idea has not been accepted by the science community since the mid 50s. It goes on to mention potato blight as common pathogenic fungi....potato blight is not casued by a fungi. The causative pathogen (an oomycete) was once in the kingdom fungi but later moved to a different kingdom in the late 70's. This leads me to beleive that the authors have taken a lot of updated information for granted. I could go on and on about this book. If you are new to gardening and and want something to ready this is an OK book. If you want or need a book that give real uptdate advice this is not the book. In my opinonin this book falls into the catagory of books that are ment to be on a coffe table and not really used. A good name was used to sell a poor product.



4. this is a great source for those who are interested in organic (or close too) gardening/growing, etc. answered many questions i had and shed light on some problems i had with plants last season. great book!!!



5. This book was purchased for my daughter. She has found it extremely helpful as she is gardening organically for the first time.

5 comments about Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener.

1. Chock full of useful information! This is probably the only book on gardening you'll ever need! I can't believe how informative this is! It truly is an Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening! Whatever your question or plant you are sure to find it here! This is a must have for any organic gardener!



2. I use this book so often. I have several gardening books about specific topics such as soil or companion planting or planting or pruning.. it's good to have specific books but this one has it all as a great general reference. I always check this out in addition to whatever other resource I am using. It is so comprehensive!



3. This is a great book, very informative whether you have just one potted plant or an acre of garden blooming in your backyard. It touches on just about any topic imaginable, including composting, rose care, types of garden pests and how to deter them, and tips on growing flowers, vegetables, and herbs. The information easy to understand and easy to follow. I highly recommend this book, and it would make a great gift for anyone aspiring to have a green thumb.



4. ALL NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ORGANIC GARDENING- It is precise and detailed in its illustration of soil preparation,tree prunning and prevention of disease. It is a book that provide the method of preparing fertilizer and pesticide in an organic way. It is comprehensive about plant care and maintenance, almost all kind of plants are discused and reviewed thoroughly in its presentation. I will recommend this book to an organic gardener.



5. Simply put this is an amazing book! The new version (1992) is much better written than the older version I own (1975). Of course having more than one can give you different perspectives.